Academic Career Planning & Placement

NEWSLETTER ACADEMIC CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT April 2009 NEW JERSEY Academic Career Planning & Placement APRIL 2009 Government jobs have appeal W...
3 downloads 2 Views 322KB Size
NEWSLETTER ACADEMIC CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT

April 2009 NEW JERSEY

Academic Career Planning & Placement

APRIL 2009 Government jobs have appeal Where the jobs are in private industry The Best & Worst Jobs

The Frank Capone Career Development Center Dr. Jennifer Jones, Director 1-800-624-1046/ 201-200-3005/6 http://www.njcu.edu/dept/acp

U

CIT Y

U N IVE RSITY

APRIL 2009

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

These days, government jobs have appeal As the economic downturn forces corporations and small businesses to shed jobs, one large employer still has the 'help wanted' sign out: the U.S. Government. Experts say the federal government's civilian workforce of 2.8 million is likely to expand significantly over the next several years as it gears up to stimulate the economy, rescue troubled banks, overhaul health care and pursue other elements of President Barack Obama's agenda. With the economy in turmoil, the stability of a government career now holds greater appeal.And it doesn't hurt that the new boss has encouraged citizens to consider public service. Government hiring has increased steadily over the past four years, from 79,000 in fiscal year 2004 to 99,000 in fiscal 2007, according to the Office of Personnel Management. The conservative Heritage Foundation estimates that the $787 billion economic stimulus package signed into law last month could create at least 100,000 more government jobs next year and 120,000 by 2012. As of early March there were 39,000 federal job openings, according to the government's USAJobs.gov employment portal. Among those listed: * Meteorologist -- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Silver Spring, Maryland. Annual Salary: up to $134,000.

* Manager, Public Access Programs - Bureau of Land Management in Billings, Montana. Annual Salary: up to $105,000.

* Civil Engineer - Army Corps of Engineers in Honolulu, Hawaii. Annual salary: up to $92,000.

Though a job in the federal bureaucracy is not likely to lead to riches, salaries have improved in recent years and the government has offered tuition assistance and signing bonuses to compete with the private sector. Guaranteed cost-of-living salary increases and generous retirement benefits sweeten the deal. Government employees also are less likely to lose their jobs than their privatesector counterparts. In December 2008, 2.4 percent of the total private-sector workforce was laid off or fired, while only three-tenths of 1 percent of the federal workforce lost their jobs involuntarily, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. 1

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

APRIL 2009

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

WHERE THE JOBS ARE IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY Help wanted: pharmacists, engineers and nurses. Believe it or not, even some banks are hiring, at least for their technology teams. While the recession has claimed 4.4 million jobs, the economy has created others, many of them for highly trained and specialized professionals. More than 2 million jobs openings now exist across a range of industries, according to government data. Job seekers beware, though. An average of nearly five people are competing for each opening. That's up sharply from a ratio of less than 2-to-1 in December 2007, when the recession was just starting and nearly 4 million openings existed. Broadly, jobs are being added in education, health care and the federal government, the Labor Department said, with the government adding 9,000 new jobs last month alone. But beyond those areas, jobs can be found in a variety of sectors. Some places that are hiring, such as companies that make nuclear power equipment, haven't been hit that hard by the recession. Others, such as discount retailers, are actually benefiting from the downturn as shoppers turn thriftier. Even some businesses at the center of the economic meltdown are managing to add a few employees. Banks involved in recent mergers, for example, are hiring information technology specialists to help integrate companies. Some mortgage lending companies, notably those never involved in subprime or other exotic loans, are actually growing and hiring as larger competitors have folded. Mortgage servicing companies — those that collect payments for the lenders that originated them — are also hiring as lower mortgage rates fuel mortgage refinance applications. The nuclear power industry also doesn't seem to have noticed the economic downturn. It is adding thousands of jobs as it gears up to build as many as 26 new nuclear power plants in the next decade.

continued on next page NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

2

APRIL 2009

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

WHERE THE JOBS ARE IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY Corporations such as Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric Company and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy are hiring engineers and adding other workers as they expand manufacturing facilities, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade group. Engineers of all kinds are in demand and are facing a rock-bottom jobless rate of about 3 percent. That compares with a nationwide unemployment rate of 8.1 percent last month.

• Veterinarians: A demand exists for veterinarians, particularly to serve livestock growers in rural areas, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The government is also short of veterinarians needed to inspect slaughterhouses and undertake other food safety measures, he said. The Labor Department projects that the number of veterinary jobs will grow by 35 percent by 2016.

Other bright spots in the labor market:

Some companies are benefiting from the recession as shoppers shift to lower-priced stores. The economy has lost more than 600,000 retail jobs since the slowdown began, but discount retailer Family Dollar Stores Inc. is hiring.

• Pharmacists: An aging U.S. population is taking more medicine and pharmacists are taking more time helping patients with chronic diseases manage their dosages, according to the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. There is a 6 percent shortage of hospital pharmacists while many drug stores are also looking to hire new pharmacists and pharmacist technicians, he said. • Nurses: Hospitals also need more nurses to care for the aging population and to replace those nearing retirement, according to the American Nurses Association. Hospitals added 7,000 jobs of all kinds in one month, even as the economy overall shed 651,000.

The company plans to hire new workers for 200 stores it expects to open this year, and will also add employees at some of its nine distribution centers. Family Dollar saw its sales at stores open at least a year rise by 6.4 percent in the three months ending in February. Other companies prospering amid the economic gloom include liquidators — firms that sell the assets of troubled businesses. These firms hire workers in sales, marketing, operations and finance departments.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor www.usajobs.gov www.rd.com 3

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2008

Doing the Math to Find the Good Jobs Mathematicians Land Top Spot in New Ranking of Best and Worst Occupations in the U.S. A new study ranking the best and worst jobs in the U.S. finds the science of problem-solving at the top of the list. The study, from CareerCast.com, a new job site, evaluated 200 professions to determine the best and worst according to five criteria inherent to every job: environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress. The findings were compiled by Les Krantz, author of "Jobs Rated Almanac," and are based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, as well as studies from trade associations. According to the study, mathematicians fared best in part because they typically work in favorable conditions -- indoors and in places free of toxic fumes or noise -- unlike those toward the bottom of the list like sewage-plant operator, painter and bricklayer. They also aren't expected to do any heavy lifting, crawling or crouching -- attributes associated with occupations such as firefighter, auto mechanic and plumber. The study also considers pay, which was determined by measuring each job's median income and growth potential. Mathematicians' annual income was pegged at $94,160. Some mathematicians’ jobs entail working as part of a virtual team that designs mathematically based computer programs, some of which have been used to make films such as "The Matrix" and "Speed Racer." Workers can telecommute from home and rarely works overtime or feel stressed out. Other jobs at the top of the study's list include actuary, statistician, biologist, software engineer and computer-systems analyst, historian and sociologist. On the opposite end of the career spectrum are lumberjacks. The study shows these workers, also known as timber cutters and loggers, as having the worst occupation, because of the dangerous nature of their work, a poor employment outlook and low annual pay -- $32,124. Other jobs at the bottom of the study: dairy farmer, taxi driver, seaman, emergency medical technician and roofer.

CareerCast.com NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

The study estimates roofers earn annual incomes of $34,162. Roofers also ranked poorly because of their hazardous working conditions. And remember, these workers obviously can't be afraid of heights! 4

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2008

The Best and Worst Jobs Of 200 jobs studied, these came out on top -- and at the bottom: The Best

The Worst

1. Mathematician

200. Lumberjack

2. Actuary

199. Dairy Farmer

3. Statistician

198. Taxi Driver

4. Biologist

197. Seaman

5. Software Engineer

196. EMT

6. Computer Systems Analyst

195. Garbage Collector

7. Historian

194. Welder

8. Sociologist

193. Roustabout

9. Industrial Designer

192. Ironworker

10. Accountant

191. Construction Worker

11. Economist

190. Mail Carrier

12. Philosopher

189. Sheet Metal Worker

13. Physicist

188. Auto Mechanic

14. Parole Officer

187. Butcher

15. Meteorologist

186. Nuclear Decontamination Tech

16. Medical Laboratory Technician

185. Nurse (LN)

17. Paralegal Assistant

184.Painter

18. Computer Programmer

183. Child Care Worker

19. Motion Picture Editor

182. Firefighter

20. Astronomer

181. Brick Layer

More on the Methodology For methodology info and detailed job descriptions, go to: http://careercast.com/jobs/content/JobsRated_Methodology

“NOTABLE QUOTE” “Make every good connection you can. Almost all good jobs are gotten by who you know at least as much as by what you know. When people are hiring in both government and the private sector, a recommendation from a friend or colleague means more than test scores. Make and expand your web of friends and colleagues from the earliest possible moment…your colleagues are a form of capital as real as money, even if not as liquid. Imagine you are an employer looking at your whole college class. Would you hire you? If not, make yourself better. You can be a rebel later. For now, do what you need to do to get a job.” - Ben Stein

Source: www.careerjournal.com

5

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

APRIL 2008

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

Power Up Your Resume Remember to use strong, specific action verbs to highlight results on your résumé. Here are some verbs that can add action to your job search: *accelerated * accomplished *collaborated *created *designed

*drafted

*established *expanded *formulated *generated *implemented *initiated *presented *produced *streamlined *supervised *tracked *wrote

Careers Holding Steady In A Down Economy Include: SEARCH ENGINE PROFESSIONALS: Companies hire technology workers with this expertise to ensure their websites appear often on Google and other search engines. Annual salaries range from $40,000-$60,000.

AUDITORS: These accounting professionals earn from $50,000-$120,000 annually to help banks, insurers, and the government monitor the spending of funds.

SPEECH THERAPISTS: Schools, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes are filling positions. Annual salaries range from $45,000-$80,000.

POLICE OFFICERS: Law enforcement tends to be the last area reduced in government. Annual salaries range from $25,000 for new officers in small towns while experienced police in large cities can earn over $90,000.

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

6

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2008

Where Are The Jobs? Geographic location can affect job prospects. Some states in the Great Plains region are experiencing job growth due in industries such as energy production, agriculture, and local tourism. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the states with the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. include:

Wyoming: 3.7% North Dakota: 4.2% Nebraska: 4.3% Other states have been hit harder by the economic downturn. Those with the highest unemployment rates include:

Michigan: 11.6% South Carolina: 10.4% Rhode Island: 10.3% EDUCATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS The Bureau of Labor Statistics also notes the national unemployment rates vary among Americans based on educational levels:

No high school diploma: 12.6% High school diploma: 8.3% Bachelor’s degree: 4.1%

Source: Parade Magazine U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 7

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2008

SUMMER CO-OP POSITIONS AVAILABLE The co-op office has listed over 600 organizations offering internships at off campus locations. Visit the NJCU Career Development Center, Vodra Hall 101, to learn more about these and other cooperative education sites: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

The Center for Bio-Defense; Newark Municipal Credit Union; New York City Essex County Prosecutor/Arson Unit; East Orange Northern State Prison; Newark Marsh and McClennan; Hoboken Jersey City Housing Authority; Jersey City Alpha Media Group; New York City EMI Music; New York City Office of Management & Budget; New York City Legal Aid Society; New York City Hudson County Family Court ; Jersey City Office of the Attorney General; Trenton American Civil Liberties Union; Newark Intrepid Air & Space Museum; New York City PRIDE Mentor Program; Jersey City Mental Health Association in Hudson County; Jersey City Kenneth Cole Inc.; Secaucus Wenner Media; New York City

8

ACADEMIC CAREER PLANNING & PLACEMENT

Academic Career Planning and Placement Staff Dr. Jennifer Jones, Director, [email protected] Mike Moriarty, Associate Director, [email protected] Juan E. Arroyo, Assistant Director, [email protected] Dean Brianik, Assistant Director, [email protected] Christopher Cofone, Assistant Director, [email protected] Peggy Cohen, Assistant Director, [email protected] Nancy Gomez, Secretary, [email protected] Deborah Doctor, Secretary, [email protected] Veronica Kinigstein, Secretary, [email protected] Katy Marquez, Receptionist/Secretary, [email protected] Shirley Williams, Secretary, [email protected]

1-800-624-1046/ 201-200-3005/6 http://www.njcu.edu/dept/acp Robert O’Neill, Graphic Design, [email protected]

April 2009